Skip to main content

Is Killzone 3 the Avatar of 3D Gaming?

Besides raking in over $2 billion worldwide, Avatar might best be remembered for making movie audiences aware that 3D has arrived. If the live 3D demo of Killzone 3 really reflects what’s to come, Killzone 3 might do the same for 3D gaming.

It’s hard to ignore.

Recommended Videos

From the moment Sony booted up the on-screen demo, the game took full advantage of all three dimensions. On-screen display items like target reticules and bloody damage indicators appeared in the foreground, overlaid onto the action. A jetpack afforded an aerial view of roiling arctic seas with a twinge of vertigo as the player leapfrogged from iceberg to iceberg. A final flight sequence sealed the deal with brass shells spilling out of a chaingun in foreground as enemies toppled from airborne platforms in the background.

Gimmicky as it may seem for retelling the story of Pocahontas in space, three dimensions add a missing element to gaming. And in a way, games look even more compelling on screen. As SCEA president and CEO Jack Tretton spelled out himself, “This isn’t content that was adapted for 3D, it was created for 3D.” And it shows.

Not all 3D games give this impression. Demos of face-paced racing games, for instance, made us wonder if our brains could even process virtual worlds at 120 miles per hour, and playing with a puppy in 3D seems like a waste. But one of the first games developed with 3D consumption in mind has us cautiously optimistic.

Killzone 3 won’t be out until February 2011, but Sony already launched four 3D games live on PSN today, and hopes to have 20 by March 2011. As Hollywood spends hundreds of millions of dollars to spool up 3D production capabilities over the next decade, we look forward to the 3D gaming content Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo and other companies will be rolling out in less than a year, and sampling more of it here at E3.

Nick Mokey
As Digital Trends’ Editor in Chief, Nick Mokey oversees an editorial team covering every gadget under the sun, along with…
Recent PS5 firmware update may have caused big issues in some games
Final Fantasy 16's main cast standing together.

The latest PlayStation 5 firmware update has reportedly caused a lot of problems for players, making some games like Final Fantasy XVI practically unplayable thanks to intense graphical glitches.

Most of the reports (via Tom's Hardware) have come from players, although the official X (formerly Twitter) Final Fantasy XVI account said that Square Enix is looking into the issue.

Read more
3 games leaving Xbox Game Pass to play this weekend (September 6-8)
Character posing for Payday 3 promo art.

While Age of Mythology: Retold launched on Xbox Game Pass on September 4, several games are also leaving the service. In just over a week, five games will be removed from Xbox Game Pass. This happens around every 15 days, so there's nothing out of the ordinary here. Still, some notable games are leaving the service on September 15, so you should check them out before they are gone. I want to highlight three of those games, ranging from a clever indie to a tense multiplayer game. Check them out this weekend, and if you really enjoy them, you can buy them at a 20% discount while they're still in Xbox Game Pass.
Payday 3

Payday 3 is the latest entry in Starbreeze's long-running first-person shooter series where players work together to pull off heists. For example, you'll work with others to scope out a bank before donning masks, holding people hostage, stealing money, and making a quick escape from the police. It's a tense multiplayer game where failure is likely, and I've had a good time with it. Admittedly, Payday 3 doesn't quite live up to its predecessor, but as something to play free of charge on Xbox Game Pass, it's entertaining enough. The PC and Xbox Series X/S versions of Payday 3 leave Xbox Game Pass on September 15. After that, the game will still be available for purchase on those platforms and PlayStation 5.
Slime Rancher 2

Read more
PlayStation celebrates its 30th birthday with free trials, board games, and more
The Playstation 5 system standing upright.

PlayStation is gearing up for its 30th anniversary on December 3 with some free gifts for fans, including new trials, never-before-released soundtracks, and even board games.

The company introduced these upcoming releases as part of its anniversary celebration, and it says there will be more to come. For now, though, we've got a mix of nostalgic and modern to look forward to.

Read more